Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Patterns of domestic and foreign trade: the significance of the wool and…
Full specification wording
Economic, social and cultural change, 1509–88: Patterns of domestic and foreign trade: the significance of the wool and cloth industries; the development of ‘new draperies’ from the 1560s; the impact of the migration of foreign textile workers; the role of London as a market for goods; the consequences of exploration for trade.
This topic examines how Tudor trade changed.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
This topic examines how Tudor trade changed. Wool and cloth were central: raw wool exports declined while finished cloth exports grew, making cloth England’s leading export and linking landowners, merchants and workers. From the 1560s, ‘new draperies’—lighter, cheaper fabrics—expanded markets and shifted production to new areas. Migrant textile workers, notably from the Low Countries, brought skills and techniques that improved quality and variety. London became the dominant market and port, concentrating trade and influencing prices and credit. Exploration opened new routes and markets, though its early trade consequences were limited compared with established European commerce. Assess patterns by linking cause, scale and consequence.
What earns the marks
- Explains the shift from raw wool exports to cloth exports and its significance for English trade and rural industry.
- Analyses the development of ‘new draperies’ from the 1560s as a response to changing demand and competition, expanding cheaper cloth markets.
- Assesses the impact of foreign textile workers’ migration, including new skills, techniques and products, and tensions with local workers.
- Evaluates London’s role as a market and port, concentrating trade, finance and distribution, and its effect on other regions.
- Examines the consequences of exploration for trade, including new routes and commodities, while recognising that early effects were uneven.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating wool and cloth as the same.
Put it right: Distinguish raw wool exports from finished cloth and explain the shift.
Assuming new draperies replaced old draperies entirely.
Put it right: Show they expanded alongside traditional cloth, changing markets and production.
Overstating the immediate trade impact of exploration.
Put it right: Balance new routes with the continued dominance of European trade.
Exam tips
- Use specific examples of goods, routes or groups to illustrate patterns, such as cloth types or migrant communities.
- When assessing significance, compare scale and duration, not just novelty.
- Link economic changes to social effects, such as employment or urban growth, to show understanding of patterns.
Try the lesson
The start of the Economic, social and cultural change, 1509–88: Patterns of domestic and foreign trade: the significance of the wool and cloth industries; the development of ‘new draperies’ from the 1560s; the impact of the migration of foreign textile workers; the role of London as a market for goods; the consequences of exploration for trade. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which English city became the dominant market for goods and the leading port for overseas trade during the sixteenth century?
Listen
This topic examines how Tudor trade changed. Wool and cloth were central: raw wool exports declined while finished cloth exports grew, making cloth England’s leading export and linking landowners, merchants and workers. From the 1560s, ‘new draperies’—lighter, cheaper fabrics—expanded markets and shifted production to new areas. Migrant textile workers, notably from the Low Countries, brought skills and techniques that improved quality and variety. London became the dominant market and port, concentrating trade and influencing prices and credit. Exploration opened new routes and markets, though its early trade consequences were limited compared with established European commerce. Assess patterns by linking cause, scale and consequence. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains the shift from raw wool exports to cloth exports and its significance for English trade and rural industry. Analyses the development of ‘new draperies’ from the 1560s as a response to changing demand and competition, expanding cheaper cloth markets. Assesses the impact of foreign textile workers’ migration, including new skills, techniques and products, and tensions with local workers. Evaluates London’s role as a market and port, concentrating trade, finance and distribution, and its effect on other regions. A common slip: Treating wool and cloth as the same. Instead, distinguish raw wool exports from finished cloth and explain the shift. Exam tip: Use specific examples of goods, routes or groups to illustrate patterns, such as cloth types or migrant communities.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Wool and cloth trade
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New draperies and innovation
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Migration and skill transfer
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London as commercial centre
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See every definition
- Wool and cloth trade
- Raw wool exports declined while finished cloth exports grew, making cloth England's leading export and linking landowners, merchants and workers.
- New draperies and innovation
- From the 1560s, lighter, cheaper fabrics expanded markets and shifted production to new areas.
- Migration and skill transfer
- Migrant textile workers, notably from the Low Countries, brought skills and techniques that improved quality and variety.
- London as commercial centre
- London became the dominant market and port, concentrating trade and influencing prices and credit.
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